HOME MINISTRY

Talking Points

Matthew 28:18-20 “Go, Make Disciples of all nations,  baptizing and teaching…”

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I just finished reading a novel today called “Stolen Child” by Kimberly Rae. Asha, an adopted Indian young lady raised in the States, came home from her short-term summer missions trip to India. When she returned home, Asha had a hard time getting the faces of the stolen girls/children forced to work the red-light districts out of her mind even months after being back in America.

As she remembered the needs and helplessness on their faces, Asha struggled to enjoy the privilege of living in the States. “It taunted her, attacked her with guilt”, as the author so well put it. “How could she buy a special drink for 4 dollars when those girls would sell themselves for less than that?” Asha would say, “How can I enjoy myself when so many others are suffering”? She had a difficult time coming to terms with those conflicting emotions.  

While in India she looked forward to getting home. She was excited to show off her pictures, telling all her friends, family, and churches, about her new friends, the orphanage she worked at, and the possibility of rescuing more girls from their bad situations.

But something happened when she returned. After showing the pictures and saying a few words about her trip everyone seemed to go back to normal life. “The pictures seemed to be just pictures to them, not real people.”  Few questions were asked by these friends, and no one seemed interested to dig deeper and explore more the dire condition just presented by the images. 

Why do we Americans react with indifference to the plight of the less fortunate? How do we react when friends share stories or their experiences of such destitution around the world with us?  Are we asking good questions and listening well?

As I was reading this part in the book I could relate to Asha’s story. Each trip home from our mission assignment in the Philippines, I often felt as Asha did. “Why would God allow me to be born in a land of blessing like America and not another place with much poverty?  Why isn’t anyone else upset over this?” These are some of the questions I asked myself over and over.

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What are some things I have learned over the years when these emotions or questions surface?:   

Be Aware:  Fortunately, someone told us ahead of time to expect both the feelings and the reactions. After an intense trip, whether short or long term, most of us will experience a sense of loss, and will probably grieve.

God will use your trip to grow you in many aspects. Your priorities will change. Don’t expect your friends to be on the same page.  51M0ZJDNE2L._AA160_

Start where people are and what they might want to hear:  Summarize your experiences by preparing:

  1. A one or two sentence response.  
  2. A five minute response.  
  3. A 10  minute response.
  4. A 30 minute response.
  5. A longer version for those close friends that really do want to know!
  6. Pictures still work: they help you talk through points of interest to your audience.

Opportunity to Mobilize:  In preparing your variety of talking points keep in mind you have the opportunity to influence and mobilize for the cause of Christ to the nations. God will use you to help expand the world to others. Start with less and if they want to know more, then you are ready. Use whatever time you have to make a difference.

Find a Friend or Life Coach:  Asha, in the story above, had no one to debrief with her about her trip. She had many  emotions and no one who understood enough to talk her through them. Finding someone to talk to and ask you good questions does help in sorting through all these emotions.

Blessed to be a Blessing:  My advice in short would be, it is okay to enjoy life. There are seasons of life, where some days are more abundant than others. We here in America often statistically have more than the majority of the world. James 1 tells us that “every good gift comes from above”. God has chosen to put you where you are for a reason. He wants you to pass it on in some way or another, “Blessed to be a blessing”. (Genesis 12:1f) Paul learned to be thankful and content in season and out (Phil. 4:10-13). We don’t have to feel guilty for what God has given or not given, only thankful!  

How are you thanking God or using your abundance to help others? Seek God out to see what he is saying to you.   

Character Building:  How is God using your trip to make you more like Him? For me, it heightened my sensitivity and compassion for others, making me more aware of people’s feelings, needs, and concerns around the world.   

God can use us in the sanctification and discipleship process of others too (Matthew 28:18-20). This is where you also learn to be graceful with people back home because they haven’t been discipled by your experience. How can you pass on the things God has taught you with grace, helping expand their horizons?  

Prayer:  God can use your experience to help you pray more for people and the needs of the world. (Use https://joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday, to pray for the unreached). By praying it gives you an opportunity to see what God is asking of you. For me it confirmed the calling in my life that the Philippines was where I needed to be and got me more excited about going back.   

Today, I want to expand the awareness of God’s world so others might be called to go. I want to keep my heart tender towards what God is doing around the world through God’s people, YOU!  May you make a difference for God’s Kingdom, in every season of life, one story at a time, as you live out the Gospel where you are, so others may hear.   

Personal Reflections:  Can you relate to Asha and my story? What has been helpful for you or your experience when coming home from a missions trip? What wisdom can you pass on to others?  Please tell us any thoughts in the comment section of the blog, “Home Ministry”.  

 

From one pilgrim to another together on the journey,

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Consider how you may spur one another on towards love and good deeds….. encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

“Teaming up with God to encourage mission minded women to see God in their story in order to bring more hope and  that they may have a more effective life and ministry.

note;  (India pictures from: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Kolkata+India+2001&FORM=IRMHRS)

(Book pictures:  Amazon.com)

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